


A Change of Fate

by EnchantHollow



Category: Brave (2012)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Dialogue is written with dialect, F/M, Friendship, Let's give these suitors some personality traits, There will eventually be romance, We all know the Witch has a temper
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24541603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnchantHollow/pseuds/EnchantHollow
Summary: Small changes can alter the fates of many, rewriting lives and fortunes forever. Merida is released from her imprisonment in her room by one of her hated suitors, and she has a fellow in battle. Meanwhile, the Witch returns home early to find her home destroyed, and a new spell is cast.
Kudos: 6





	1. Freeing the Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. This is another cross-post from my fanfiction account, although it's not finished yet. This idea burrowed its way into my head and wouldn't get out. I hope you like it. It starts after Merida is locked in Queen Elinor's room by King Fergus.

OooOooOooOooO (With the Princess)

"Let me ou', Da! Don' hurt my mum! Le' me ou'! It's yer wife, Elinor!" The red-haired teen shouted though the window of the door. No reply and no help came. Her level of desperation grew with each second, and she knew that her da would be on his way to slay the bear he thought had killed his wife.

She attacked the door with anything and everything within reach, but it did no good. She thought of trying to shatter the windows, but she knew that the windows were too thin and she too high up to escape. Instead, she returned to shouting from the door.

Merida knew that her father was no longer in hearing distance, so she began shrieking for help from anyone who would listen. "Someone le' me out! Anyone, please! Help me!" Her Scottish brogue echoed through the halls, but it reached the ears of only a few.

"Please," the princess sobbed as she slid to the floor with her back resting on the thick wooden door. "Please."

"Princess?" Came a slightly familiar tone. "Are ya all righ'?" The voice was of medium range, had an accent similar to her own, and was difficult for Merida to place. She slowly rose to her feet, but she didn't yet face the window. "Wha's wrong?"

"My da is out there, and if I don' stop 'im, he's goin' to kill my mum. 'S enough to distress any lass, wouldn't you say?" She snapped as she wiped her nose with a sniff.

"Wha'?" The voice exclaimed. Merida slowly spun to face the small window as she began to recognize the voice. If she was correct, it had been praising her ideas and speaking of freedom not an hour before. As she finished her turn, she came face to face with the son of Lord Macintosh.

"Okay, listen. You mus' let me out, and I'll explain. Please. I need to save my mum," the girl begged.

"Why are ya locked in here in the firs' place?" The young man retorted.

"My da is off to slay the bear, but I tried to stop 'im. 'E locked me in 'ere to keep me from followin' 'im."

The boy in the blue war paint stood for a moment in deep thought before unsheathing his sword and commanding, "Stand back, lass." Merida stumbled away from the door, and Macintosh brought his blade down on the lock. The lock shattered, and he pulled the door open. "C'mon. You've got some tales to tell, and we need to hurry if we're to catch the king."

"Thank you!" She cried as she flew out of the bedroom and into the hall with the tapestry rolled up under her arm and a threaded needle plunged into it. She grabbed his wrist and practically dragged him down the stairs in her haste to reach the stables. When he got over his initial shock, the boy sped up to match step with her as they ran together through the kitchen and out into the rain.

OooOooOooOooO (With the Hunters)

King Fergus lead the way through the forest as the men followed the bear tracks left in the mud. The lords were close behind him, and their sons followed. Lord Macintosh, however, kept glancing around in confusion.

"Where is that boy?" He growled to himself. He hadn't seen his son since they had gone down into the cellars. The boy had left not long after they had arrived, and he had never returned. Once they had come up from the cellars and found and driven out the bear, he had not had time to search for his child.

Now he was engaged in the hunt for the beast, but his boy was nowhere to be found. Against all instincts, he was worried. 'What if the beast got him?' With that thought, Macintosh's heart was hardened. Whether the bear had killed his son or not, he was going to do his best to slay the animal at any cost.

OooOooOooOooO (With the Rescuers)

"We'll ride Angus, my horse," Merida instructed as the pair reached the stables. Within seconds, she had swung into the saddle and thrown her bow and quiver, which she had grabbed on the way by, over the saddle horn along with the tapestry. Macintosh mounted the horse behind her, and they were off.

"So, wha' happened?" He inquired as they rode at a breakneck pace through the woods.

"Well, you know well as I do how I didn't wan' to get married. After the failure of my firs' attempt to stop it, I went for a ride, and I stumbled upon a cottage by followin' the wisps. I bought a spell from the witch who lived there, but it didn' do wha' I wanted it to. 'Stead o' changin' my mum's mind, it changed 'er into a bear. We've been tryin' to fix it, but then Da found 'er as she went wild," Merida explained as she sewed. She was currently steering Angus with her knees, but she was considering giving Macintosh the reins so she could focus.

"Wha' do ya mean, wen' wild?"

"She's usually only a bear physically, and she's mentally 'erself. Sometimes, though, she becomes a bear all the way through. Da caught 'er one o' those times, an' he attacked 'er. Now 'e's off huntin' her, an' I've got to stop 'im. I can change 'er back if I jus' sew up this tapestry before the sun rises," she finished. As an afterthought, she added, "Do you believe me?" Suddenly she felt like she needed the boy to believe her, even though she could just shove him off the horse and keep going if she needed to.

"I don' know. It's crazy, bu' you seem to believe it. I guess I do too," he admitted. "I'll help you as best I can to save yer mum. What can I do?"

"Take the reins so I can sew," she commanded. The boy's blue-streaked arms wrapped around her as he picked up the leather straps. As he did, a blue shape appeared in front of Angus's nose, and the horse slid to a halt.

"A wisp," Macintosh muttered in awe. "I take it we follow the wisps, then," he commented as a trail of the blue spirits appeared. "Hyah!"

Angus leapt forward once more, and Merida finished the final stitches to sew up the rip. "There," she whispered as she rolled the fabric back up again. As she sat up, a thought occurred to her. "Ya know, I though' you were a self-centered fool. I don' even know yer firs' name, an' I had judged you. 'M sorry fer that. I jus'… I didn't wan' ta get married, an' I was scared. It was easier to make a joke out o' all o' you than to think about marryin' you. Now there's all this, an' yer helping me, an' I'm jus' sorry."

"It's Valan."

"Wha'?"

"My name. It's Valan. Valan Macintosh. An' it's all righ'. After the fit I threw when I missed tha' shot, I would'a thought the same. It's jus', my da has these expectations an' this personality 'e wan's me to have. I'm supposed to be perfect at everythin' an' act all full of myself, and I knew he'd be disappointed. 'M always livin' with these rules, and m' da insisted that I win yer hand. I didn' wan' to get married any more than you did; 'm not even eighteen! It was all jus' too much, an' I snapped. 'M sorry too, I guess."

"S'all righ'. I know what you mean. 'S the same way fer me; I've not been able to be a real girl since I was wee. My mum's been trainin' me to be the perfect princess fer years, an' I hate it!" Merida suddenly stopped; she had no idea what had happened. She was fighting for her mother's life, and now she was venting to this boy that she barely knew! How had this happened?

As she realized this, she looked up to see a sight that made her blood run cold. Her bow was in her hand before she could think, and she loosed an arrow with a shout of "No!"

The shot flew true, and one of the ropes being used to tie down Queen Elinor the bear was severed. It did little good, though, and the bear was captured as the pair arrived at the edge of the clearing. King Fergus dismounted and drew his sword, and the Valan felt Merida stiffen in the circle of his arms. He pulled on the reins to stop Angus as the girl leapt from the saddle. She ran to get between her father and the beast that was her mother.

"I won' let you kill her, Da. Tha's my mum, an' you can' hurt her." All eyes were on the fiery-haired princess as she squared off against her father with her bow drawn, and no one noticed the teen in the shadows riding Angus. As Merida's eyes strayed to the boy, Fergus quickly took advantage of her distraction and threw his daughter into Lord Macintosh's grip. The man trapped her with his spear, and with a nod, the king rounded on the bear once more.

As Merida struggled against the strength of his father, Valan jumped from Angus's back and drew his sword. With one swipe, he severed the spear that was holding her in place, and she leapt to her mother's defense with a sword that she snatched from an inattentive soldier. Valan then slid smoothly in to cover her back as she fought with the king.

"Son?" Lord Macintosh gasped as he came face to face with the boy. "What're you doin'?"

Just then, Fergus went flying and a growl split the air. Everyone froze, and several men dropped their weapons in shock as a giant shadow rose up next to one of the stones. Merida's eyes widened in fear as a single word left her lips. "Mor'du."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there's the first chapter. I tried to make it interesting but explanatory, and I wanted to lay the basis for the rest of the story. Also, that ending was my sad attempt at cliffhanger. Tell me what you think!


	2. The End of Mor'Du

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do start flipping back and forth between the castle and the fight in this chapter, so be aware of that. Also, obviously, there is violence in this chapter. Nothing too bloody, but they are battling a demon bear.

OooOooOooOooO(In the Clearing)

The demon bear lumbered forward into the light, and for a time, no one dared to move. The moment was broken by several men rushing forward with swords drawn, spears leveled, and war cries on their lips. These soldiers were knocked aside with little difficulty, and so the first charge was defeated.

The second wave consisted of Young MacGuffin and Wee Dingwall running at the bear with spears, but a single sweep of his paw sent the two boys crashing into the dirt. The lords Dingwall and MacGuffin cried out in worry for their sons, unsheathed their swords, and attacked the bear along with a few other men. The two landed a few blows in revenge for their sons' defeat, and the others made a little progress, but they were too angry to think properly. They fought recklessly, and soon enough, they were sent flying as well. Lord Macintosh, however, was still locked in place staring at his son, who still stood beside Merida.

Several others dared to try to fight the beast, those being the bravest men of each clan, but they were quickly defeated as well. Even the giant man from Clan Dingwall could not land more than a few blows on the fearsome animal. Soon, the warriors grew too afraid to attack, and a silence hung in the air.

The pause didn't last long before Fergus finally found his feet with his butchered leg and challenged the bear, but he was quickly swept aside. The beast moved to collect his prize, one that he had waited to finish for years, but an arrow sprouted from his neck, and he halted. Merida, her bowstring still quivering, glared at the animal. It turned to her, but several warriors moved to protect their princess and engaged the bear in her place. For a few seconds, it seemed that they would be able to hold the creature back, and hope filled the soldiers.

Then one of the men screamed as he was thrown into one of the outlying trees, and Mor'du let out a roar. The others backed away in fear, and the bear advanced on Merida. She fired a few shots, but the many arrows in Mor'du's hide were a testament to the futility of a bow against him. This was emphasized as the beast knocked her bow from her hands and sent her crashing into the damp earth with a grunt.

"Merida!" Fergus shouted in alarm. He tried to rise to her aid, but his ruined wooden leg prevented him, and he fell back helplessly. The girl gasped in fear, and she scuttled backwards along the ground with Mor'du stalking her. As the bear pinned her down and prepared to finish her off, she let out a terrified scream. Many of the warriors turned away so as not to watch the carnage, and Elinor strained against her bonds, trying to save her little girl from the monsters as she always had.

Valan, who until now had been standing motionless in shock, leapt forward with a cry and drove his sword into the animal's side. It did little damage against the already scarred flesh, but it got his attention. The beast rounded on the boy and rose to his full height with a roar. Valan slowly backed up with a semi-calm expression, but inside, he was petrified. Mor'du drove him backwards toward center of the circle where Elinor was tied down with swipes, lunges, and bites.

"Valan!" Merida cried as the boy ran out of space to retreat and brought his weapon up in defense. The demon bear's attention was drawn to her at the sound, and he veered back towards her with a growl. Valan was near panic, and his thoughts were racing. He was about to charge in and challenge the bear single-handedly again, but then an idea struck him. He whipped his sword in a downward arc and slashed the ropes keeping Elinor in place. She roared her thanks as she hurtled to her daughter's rescue.

The bear queen grabbed Mor'du by the scruff of the neck like a kitten, and she pulled him away from his prey with a vicious snarl. The two bears began to fight, and Valan hurried to Merida's side as he sheathed his blade. "Are you hurt?" He asked her as he dropped to his knees. She shook her head, but he could see a scratch on her arm, and she was trembling. "Yer lyin'." The boy grabbed her wrist gently and examined the scratch with worried eyes. He could see a few smaller claw marks where Mor'du had pinned her as well.

"'S nothing," she whispered. "I don' even feel it. But I've got to help my mum." And with that, she got to her feet and sprinted to where her bow was lying. Valan followed and drew his sword once more. There they stood, the heirs of the clans Dun Broch and Macintosh, ready to charge into battle.

"I'll cover yer back," Valan promised quietly. Merida nodded tightly, and in that moment, Valan could see the fear in her eyes for all those present. Her vulnerable moment was over soon enough, though, and her shoulders stiffened as she forced steel into her spine.

"And I'll cover yer retreat," she retorted with an air of solemnity. "Let's slay us a bear." The pair charged forward with a war cry and began to do battle, ready to risk their lives for the good of the kingdom.

"Valan!" Lord Macintosh bellowed in a commanding tone. He expected for the boy to fall back for reinforcements or to stop fighting all together, but he was proven wrong. His son ignored him for the first time in his life and kept fighting alongside the princess and the queen.

OooOooOooOooO (At the Castle)

Three tiny bears were running around causing havoc, and Maudie was terrified. The creatures were eating pastries, making strange faces, and rearranging furniture. Somehow, through her alarm, she was reminded of the triplet troublemakers she dealt with on a regular basis.

Maudie was not one to believe in magic; she was a sensible soul. However, magic seemed like the only logical explanation for this sudden invasion of bear cubs. Whatever the cause, though, she planned on locking herself in her room until the beasts had left. She still had that key to protect, though she wasn't sure why, and the bears would certainly get up to mischief with it. Besides, this was more than even she, the greatest nurse the clans had ever seen, could handle.

OooOooOooOooO (With the Demon Bear)

Merida fired arrow after arrow into the hide of Mor'du, and Valan slashed at the bear's flanks. Elinor continued to attack head on, and the three backed the bear up towards the loose stone that they had all noticed earlier. Valan had only seen it because he had nearly crashed into it when trying to halt Angus, but he knew that it was where they were herding the bear. It was their only hope of killing him.

Merida was running out of arrows, and her fingers had begun to ache acutely. She knew that soon she would need to take up a sword, but she wasn't sure how she was going to get to one. Her arrows were doing little good anyway, though she tried to aim for the neck and eyes of her foe, if for nothing more than to distract him. The girl was struggling not to lose hope; the demon bear did indeed have the strength of ten men, and he was nearly unbeatable.

Just then, said bear swiped heavily at Valan, and Merida heard his father cry his name again through the roaring of blood in her ears. He was knocked flat, and she rushed over to him. As he sat up with blood running from the gash in his forehead, the archer saw Lord Macintosh rushing the bear with only a broken spear for protection. Elinor tried to aid him, but he was thrown against a stone within moments and lay still. The other lords moved in front of the crumpled man and took fighting stances with naked blades and a protective air about them. Their sons stood behind the group with steely expressions. Though the clans and their leaders might fight more than was strictly necessary, they were friends, and they always stood together in the end.

All of this Merida saw out of the corner of her eye as she focused on the wounded boy beside her. Part of her mind registered that her father was trying to give orders that were being ignored in the chaos and that the sun was rising, but all of this fell behind the fear that send her heart into overdrive. Her mother was in danger and many of the men were hurt, including her savior. She returned her attention to the boy next to her who was finally sitting up.

Everything was fuzzy, but Valan still saw Elinor slam the bear repeatedly into the stone, and he heard it crack. As the towering rock started to lean, the queen dodged back out of the way, and the broken stone fell, seemingly in slow motion. There was a mighty crash, dust flew, and Mor'du was no more. The boy watched in shock as the blue spirit of a man rose up from the final resting place of Mor'du, nodded to Merida, and was transformed into a wisp. As the spirit vanished, Valan blinked in confusion. He shook his head to clear it as he sat up, and he remembered something important.

"Merida, the sunrise," he murmured to her. She jumped as though she had been struck, and then she ran to Angus to retrieve the repaired tapestry. As she rushed back to her mother, he got to his feet and stumbled over to his father and the other lords. The wild-haired and blue-streaked man was breathing, and Valan let out a sigh of relief. He moved to take his place among the other suitors surrounding his father. In a gesture of thanks, he placed a hand on Young MacGuffin's shoulder and squeezed. He nodded to Wee Dingwall as well before turning back to the scene unfolding before them.

Merida was crying, hugging her bear of a mother, and repeatedly apologizing. The sorrow in the air was palpable, and Valan couldn't help but wonder what had gone wrong. The tapestry was draped over Elinor's still furry back, and the sun was drifting down the trees toward the group. They were running out of time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's chapter 2 for you. Let me know what you thought of it, especially the fight scenes. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to let me know.


	3. The Curse Reversed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to continue to transition back and forth between locations here. Also, enter the Witch.

OooOooOooOooO (With Momma Bear)

The sun had already reached the tops of the rocks, and Merida was losing hope. "No, this has ta work!" She whispered. "Fate be changed; look inside; mend the bond; torn by pride," the girl reiterated to herself. "But wha' does it mean?! Why isn' it workin'?!" She growled desperately.

"'M sorry, Mum. I never mean' for this ta happen. 'S all my fault. I love you, an' I can' lose you. Ye've got to come back to me, Mum. Don' leave me here." The princess could feel tears running down her cheeks, but she couldn't bring herself to wipe them away. Instead, she buried her face in the ruff of fur on her mother's shoulder and wrapped her arms tighter around the animal.

Merida could feel the warm breath of the bear on her neck, and she felt a shiver of fear go through her. If her mother could not be saved, she would become like Mor'du. She knew that she wouldn't be able to lay a violent hand on Elinor, and she would be killed within seconds. However, that wasn't what scared her; she didn't care about her life, not now. What frightened her was that her mother would be slain, and no one but Valan would be able to stand against her father. Even the lordling would not be able to stop all of the men there from killing the bear, especially once it had killed the crown princess.

"S all my fault," the redhead repeated. "'M so sorry, an' I want you to remember tha' I love you." Just then, she felt the warmth of the sun flow up her back.

OooOooOooOooO (At the Stornoway Wickerman Festival)

"I wonder how tha' lass is doin' with tha' spell I gave her," the witch pondered as she shopped for supplies. With the princess having bought her entire inventory, the elderly woman was going to need a lot of wood to restock. "Hmm, tha' reminds me," she muttered. "I need ta fetch my fav'rit carvin' knife ta have it sharpened. I'll jus' pop back an' get it."

With a snap of her fingers, she vanished from the middle of the crowd, shocking several people into screaming. When she reappeared, she expected to see her cottage just the way she had left it. However, when she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but wreckage, ruin, and destruction. The entire hill that her cottage was built into was gone. Anger boiled up in her the likes of which she hadn't felt in hundreds of years.

"Who did this?!" She screeched furiously. With rapid, sharp, and abrupt motions, she cast a spell to show her what had transpired in the cottage before it was razed. As she watched the red-haired archer pour vial after vial into the cauldron, completely ignoring the instructions, her wrath grew. An explosion rocked her home, a white light obscured the image, and the spell ended with a flash.

"Ye'll pay fer this, Merida of Dun Broch!" The witch promised passionately. "Ye'll be sorry!"

OooOooOooOooO (In the Stone Circle)

Valan watched in horror as the irises of the bear's eyes faded from brown to black. He prepared himself to lunge forward and pull Merida out of harm's way before she could be hurt. Instead, the bear bowed its head, and the tapestry fell over it. Valan strained to see what was happening, but he could see nothing but Merida's red hair and the tapestry. After a moment, the fabric shifted, and he put his hand on his sword hilt. With shock, he saw pale arms escape from the tapestry to wrap around the archer, and the queen's hair slid away to uncover her face. "She's back," he whispered in wonderment.

"It worked!" Merida shrieked happily as she hugged her now human mother. "Yer back!" Elinor kissed her face with a giant grin, and she looked up with thanks to her daughter. The lords all approached, Lord Macintosh leaning on the others, and their sons came with them. The men were all talking at once, and the boys were looking around in awe. Fergus stumbled over on his destroyed leg to give his wife a greeting of his own, which led his daughter to get up with a grimace. "An'… yer naked," she added slowly.

As the king commanded the lords to avert their gazes, Merida strode over with her head high. "Thank you all fer yer help. We couldn't have defeated Mor'du alone." She curtsied to the lords in her ripped and dirty skirt, and they nodded in return. "And you," she turned to Valan. He paused, half expecting to be yelled at, and she threw herself at him.

Her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug, and he found her face buried in his chest. "Thank ya so much," she sighed fervently as he tentatively slid his woad-streaked arms around her as well. "I couldn'a done it without you, Valan." With that, she stepped back and nodded to the others again.

"Le's go back ta the castle an' drink ta our success!" Lord Dingwall shouted with a grin.

OooOooOooOooO (With the Wee Devils)

Maudie looked out her window as the sun rose, and she let out a string of curses. There were three small forms running around the lawn, forms that she recognized immediately. "How did they ge' ou' there? An' why are they naked? Mischievous wee devils," she growled as she strode purposefully out of the room and down the hall.

After she had gathered clothes for the three boys, she hurried out onto the great castle lawn with the intent of catching, clothing, and punishing the giggling princes. "I don' know why I took this job," she complained to herself as she ran after the triplets. "Hamish, Hubert, Harris, get back here righ' now!"

OooOooOooOooO (With the Lordlings)

Merida decided to ride alongside the lords' sons on the way back to the castle. In part, this was unavoidable, as Valan still needed a mount. Elinor was riding with Fergus, but there were no extra horses. Therefore, Valan rode on Angus as he had on the way to the battle. The four teens were clumped together, and they talked for the first time.

"What're yer names, boys?" The Princess inquired. "I don' feel righ' not knowin' 'em, especially when you all know mine."

"'M name's Ranulf, Majesty." The younger MacGuffin boy spoke slowly and carefully to be understood. Merida shook his hand with a gentle smile; he seemed like a sweet creature, and she was eager to get to know him.

"It's nice to meet you, Ranulf. 'M sorry for the welcome I gave you; all o' you, really. I wasn' much of a hostess, an' 'm sorry. I'd like ta get ta know all o' you; as friends, mind. An' wha's yer name, Dingwall?"

"My name's Ainsley, an' 'm sorry fer wha' I said earlier. Jus' because I didn'a pick ya out doesn' mean I don' like ya. I'd like ta get ta know you as well." The boy sounded much more intelligent now then he had first appeared, and Merida wondered what he was really like under his silly exterior.

"I guess we're all in the same boat," Valan commented quietly so as not to be overheard.

"Wha' do ya mean?" Ranulf asked in a similar tone.

"We're all under the control o' our parents, an' we're all bein' forced inta a betrothal ta someone we'd never met," Valan explained.

"Yer righ'," Ainsley conceded. "An' it's gotten better with the deal ya made, Princess, but it's not over. Our da's are gonna try to make us woo ya in ev'ry way possible."

"An' they'll say it's more real 'cause there's love involved," Ranulf added. He was controlling his Doric accent to the best of his ability, but the others still had to listen carefully and decipher what he meant.

"Wha' if there is no love ta be had?" Merida questioned bitterly. "Wha' if we're not old enough fer love?"

"Our da's will make us keep visitin' until one o' us woos ya. They won' le' it go, an' we all know tha'. There has to be a new king, an' everyone wan's someone dif'rent. Someone's goin' ta get hurt in the end, an' I don' know if we can get ou' o' it" Valan replied sadly. The other boys nodded in agreement with expressions of melancholy.

Merida was disheartened by this; she liked all three of the boys as friends. They seemed to be good souls, but she didn't want to forced to marry one of them, and she didn't want to ruin their newly formed friendship by trying to fall in love with one of them. A sad silence fell as all four of the teens fell into their own thoughts.

There was a call from up at the front of the column of warriors, and Ranulf galloped away on his Clydesdale to answer the shout. It shocked Merida that he was so good on horseback; he was a large boy after all. This reminded her that she knew so little about the suitors. She knew a little bit more about Valan because she had spent more time with him, but she was still so ignorant about them all.

Just then, the voice of Lord Dingwall echoed down the line. All three riders looked up as the order repeated in a more urgent and irritated fashion. Ainsley hurried off with a worried expression that spoke quite clearly that he was going o be yelled at. As he disappeared, Valan and Merida were left alone on Angus once more.

"There're some things I wan' ta talk ta you about," Merida stated quickly as they neared the castle. She knew she had to hurry, or she would never have the time to ask. "Will ya go ridin' with me after dinner?"

"Princess, I'd be honored."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does anyone else wonder if the Wickerman festival was a reference to the horror movie? Is the Witch attending a ritual sacrifice along with her shopping?
> 
> Also, I did actually spend some time doing research on the names of the lordlings, trying to use both period appropriate and somewhat meaningful ones.


	4. A Bit of Backstory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll finally get some more information about our lordlings here. There wasn't a lot to go on in the film, obviously, so I mostly made this up myself. I thought they deserved to have personalities and such. Enjoy.

OooOooOooOooO (With the Witch)

"Now, wha' will I need fer this spell?" The hag mumbled to herself as she wandered around the forest. "Well, firs', I'll need a new cottage. It'll have ta be wood this time, I suppose. I don' have the time ta make another stone one. It won' be tha' hard to do, but tha' brat destroyed some of ma best magic! The spells around tha' house were priceless and irreplaceable! Hundreds o' years o' work wasted!"

Her anger renewed, the witch zapped several trees down with a vicious gesture. The newly chopped trees split themselves into boards at her instruction and stacked into piles. With a glare, she popped back to the festival to gather some other supplies.

When she arrived at the carpenter's stand, she quickly grabbed a few items. As she paid for them with some of the money she had gotten from selling the princess's necklace, she growled out a curse. The ancient woman hated wasting money, and she hated shopping from competitors, but the red-haired menace had forced her hand. This was why she needed revenge; no one could be permitted to cross her without punishment.

"This is why I wasn't a witch anymore!" She snarled. "Customers always mess things up! This is th' las' straw, and I won' have it!" With a snap, she reappeared and began sending wood flying. The spell wasn't difficult, but it cost large amounts of energy and time. As the cottage slowly took shape, she forced her anger into every fiber of the wood. This new home would not be at all receptive to visitors; she would see to that. The green wood warped and aged under the force of her fury, and as each board nailed itself into place, it settled looking as though it had been there for three hundred years.

"An' once this is done, the Princess-" the old woman made 'Princess' sound like a curse, "will pay for destroying my livelihood! Wha' should I do to her?" The witch mumbled. "I could destroy her castle, I could send the Clans back inta war, or I could jus' kill 'er." The crone paused, and a wicked grin grew on her face. "No. I know jus' what I'll do. That brat'll be sorry she ever crossed me."

A cackle left her throat with grim purpose, and others followed. Soon she was gasping for breath from the evil laughter. Just then, the last bit of thatched roof on her cottage fell into place, and the door swung open. She straightened up, turned, and walked through the open doorway. The heavy wooden door slammed closed behind her with a sound that eerily resembled a prison door locking.

OooOooOooOooO (At the Castle)

It was, of course, a bit early in the day for everyone to be getting drunk. The young people appeared to be the only ones to realize this, however, and by a little after midday, almost all of the adults in the castle were curled up in a dark corner somewhere, groaning or sleeping it off. The servants had been permitted to join in the festivities, and they were all as incapacitated as the warriors. Elinor hadn't gotten drunk, but she was still recovering from her ordeal and was locked in her room from the inside to that effect. The princes were locked in their room from the outside as a punishment, administered by Maudie, for scaring her so. They did, of course, know how to get out, and so they were wandering the halls harassing the drunkards. Maudie herself was in a drunken stupor in an attempt to forget the horrors of the previous day, but the triplets chose to avoid her.

Thus it was that the only people out and about that afternoon were the three lordlings and Merida. None of them had felt like drinking in the gloom of their expected fates, and they had all realized the danger of doing so at such an early hour. Now they were grouped in one of the many sitting rooms of Castle Dun Broch, chatting about anything and everything that came to mind.

First, Ainsley and Ranulf wanted Merida to explain the events leading up to the final battle and how she had teamed up with Valan. She did so graciously, leaving out only a few details, like the fact that she was crying when he found her and her confessions to the boy as they rode Angus toward almost certain death. Valan interjected only a few times to add his side of things, and he too avoided certain occurrences. As the pair reached the point in the story where Merida had leapt into the clearing with her bow at the ready, they halted.

"Ya know th' rest o' th' tale," Merida concluded. "Does tha' answer yer questions?" At first, the two boys only stared at her in shock.

"I cannae believe ye stood up ta yer Da like tha'" Ainsley said at last. The awe in his voice confused Merida, but Ranulf was nodding.

"I'd never get away with tha'. My Da would skin me," he mumbled.

"Tha' reminds me," Merida replied after a moment. "What're yer families like? Ye all know so much about me; I wan' ta know more about you."

Ranulf was the first to answer. "Well, I'm the eldest, obviously." Everyone chuckled at that. "I've seven siblings: five brothers and two sisters. Castle MacGuffin is a wee bit crowded between them and my parents. Ya know my Da, o' course. My Mum is… different. She helps my Da run the castle, but she's not much of a fighter. She's blonde like us, but thin. My younger sister takes after her in looks, an' so does my third brother. I love her to death.

"Time is a luxury she doesn't have, though. With eight children, I got neglected a bit. I never minded, o' course. I jus' helped mind my siblings as best I could; I'm a fair hand with young 'uns, thanks ta her. My Da started trainin' me young; I could wield a sword at six, but I was never as good with a sword as a spear. He's disappointed in me most of the time, an' he lets me know it." The large boy concluded there, and Merida laid a comforting hand on his broad, meaty shoulder. She could see his shyness returning as his eyes met the bearskin rug on the floor.

Valan, on Ranulf's other side, patted his back. "Well, yer a better spear-fighter than any I've seen. Yer Da ought ta be proud o' ye, an' I'm sure yer Mum is, fighter or no." Ranulf smiled at the boy shyly, and he nodded in thanks.

"As fer me, I'm an only child," Valan continued. My Mum died of a wasting fever when I was wee. I don' remember her, an' I suppose tha's better, in a way. My Da misses her, but he never talks about her. I think he hardened when she died, an' tha's why he's so harsh wi' me. I've got ta be perfect at everything, or it's nae good enough. Da doesn't have any other littles ta pick up my slack, so I'm not ta leave any. I've never had the courage ta stand up ta him before yesterday. Tha's why I jumped at the chance when ya offered it, Princess. Ya were right about us choosin' our fates, an' I wanted the chance."

There were a few seconds of silence before Ainsley realized that Valan was finished. "Well, tha' leaves me, then," he began. "I don' have the most… conventional family. I'm an only child, an' I'm a constant disappointment ta my Da. He wants me ta be a great fighter, an' I'm jus'… not. My Mum's always been the one there fer me. She's tall, thin, brunette, beautiful, an' brilliant. The opposite of the Da an' me, basically. She listens ta Da an' lets him rule, but she doesn't have ta. She could be in charge if she wanted ta, like yer Mum, Merida. The only thing she does against Da's will is her axe fighting. She can wield an axe better than most o' our warriors, even Calum." The teens all stared blankly at him. "Calum is the warrior who won the tug-o'-war by himself," Ainsley remarked.

"Tha' behemoth has a name that means _dove_?" Merida asked incredulously.

"Yes," the blonde replied with a smile. "Anyway, my mum can best even 'im with an axe. She taught me, an' it's the only weapon I'm even passable with. Da won' let me use it, an' he makes me train with a sword every chance he gets. It's his revenge, I suppose, his little taunt at my mum."

"Yer good with an axe, but he won' let ya use one?" Ranulf repeated. "Tha's ridiculous!"

"Isn't it the same fer you?" Retorted Merida. "Yer better with a spear, but yer Da makes ya use a sword anyway."

"What I'm really good wi' is horses," the large boy admitted quietly. He flinched in on himself as if he expected a blow or to be laughed at.

"I noticed tha'," was all the girl said. It was simple, kind, and obviously not the response the lordling had anticipated.

Encouraged by the princess's answer, Ranulf continued. "I like workin' wi' the beasts, but my Da thinks it's beneath me. He cannae understand why I would wan' ta train horses when I could fight instead, an' he yells at me when he finds me in th' stables."

"Well, he cannae stop you righ' now," Valan pointed out. "Ya should take advantage of tha'." The blonde started, and a slow smile spread across his open face.

"Yer right! I'll go now, if ye don' mind." Everyone nodded, and Ranulf stood. "Ainsley, ye should come wi' me an' practice wi' tha' axe o' yours." Having been jolted out of his reverie by the comment, Ainsley simply nodded with a bemused expression on his face and followed the other boy out the door.

"I should start fetching servants if we're to eat dinner at all," Merida decided with a sigh. She stood, turned to Valan, curtsied, and strode out the door. 'Really, all I want is some rest,' she thought tiredly. 'But rest is something I've not had much of in the past few days. Still, a princess must carry out her duties with a smile and never complain.' The redhead knew that voice in her mind sounded suspiciously like her mum, but she couldn't bring herself to argue with it just then.

OooOooOooOooO

In the end, it had taken a few pails of cold water and a bit of yelling to rouse the kitchen staff, but once they had realized who had woken them, all complaints miraculously ceased. Some several bows and 'Yes, Princess's later, supper was cooking and Merida had escaped to her room with a promise that she was to be summoned when the meal was almost prepared. She passed her brothers on the stairs, but she hadn't the energy left to be surprised.

When she reached her room, she simply fell onto the bed with a grateful sigh and drifted off to sleep.

Her dreams were strange, and they made little sense to her. When she awoke to a pounding on her door and a lovely sunset outside her window, all she could recall was a feeling of danger and the face of Valan Macintosh. Shaking off these strange occurrences, Merida quickly changed into an unsullied gown and rushed to the stables. As she had expected, Ranulf was still there, and she informed him that dinner would be served soon. She hadn't wanted to send a servant to fetch him for fear that man would tell the boy's father of what he was doing, and for the same reason, she inquired after Ainsley's whereabouts.

Having obtained the information she sought, the Princess sent the MacGuffin boy up to the castle and set off toward the training field. As she approached the grassy arena, she could hear the grunting that signified hard work, and soon she could see her quarry. Wee Dingwall was in the middle of the field, surrounded by several dummies. He whirled his axe around him like an extension of his arm, and the willowy boy actually looked like a rather menacing foe. It was obvious that he enjoyed what he was doing, and it was just as plain that he was quite good at it. '"Passable," my left slipper,' Merida thought with a smile.

Part of her longed to grab a weapon and join him, but she knew she hadn't the time now. Making a mental note to challenge him later, the girl got his attention and walked up to the castle with him in tow. When she walked through the doors into the Great Hall, she was met with the sight of bustling servants and groaning men. 'Dinner is going to be an interesting affair,' she considered with a small smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will feature a ride and a revenge.


	5. Riding and Revenge

OooOooOooOooO (Dinner at Castle Dun Broch)

Several food fights, actual fights, and emptied kegs later, dinner ended in raucous song and dance. Most of the men had recovered from their earlier hangovers and were well on their way to earning new ones. The teens, sensing that copious drinking was about to resume, snuck away. Ranulf and Ainsley gestured that they were going to bed, and Merida, exhausted, was about to do the same when she saw Valan staring at her expectantly and remember her request for a ride with him after dinner. She smothered a small sigh and nodded.

"Jus' le' me change," she requested, gesturing to her gown, which was covered in several food substances and other questionable mess. After all, her father had started the first food fight, and the other clan leaders weren't ones to back down from a challenge. She had ended up in the cross-fire far more often than she would have liked. Valan nodded quickly, and she ran up the stairs to her room. All she wanted as she entered was to collapse on the bed and sleep, but she forced herself to change into a more suitable and less soiled gown for riding. With a sigh and one last longing look at her bed, she left the room and headed back downstairs to meet Valan outside the Great Hall.

"Righ'. Let's go down ta tha stables, then, aye?" She mumbled with a small smile. 'S'no' like anyone'll notice at th' momen'." A loud crashing noise that sounded like one of the giant wooden tables hitting the floor echoed out from the Great Hall.

"Ye're righ' abou' tha," Valan commented with a chuckle. The pair rushed out to the stables and saddled their horses with the efficiency of years of practice. Soon enough, they were off into the cool night air. Neither spoke at first, but the silence was a comfortable one born of camaraderie and trust. Merida turned Angus down her archery practice path without thought, routine guiding her exhausted muscles.

Valan looked around in amazement at the various targets along the path, most of them bristling with arrows that were visible even in the gloom. Eventually, his curiosity got the better of him, although he bit back his questions about her archery skills and asked another pressing question instead.

"Why did ya ask me ta ride wi' ya tonight, Princess?"

"Merida," she corrected tiredly.

"Wha'?"

"It's Merida. All o' ya 'ave me call ya by yer names, so ya can call me by mine. 'M not just th' princess; 'm a person, too," she replied, a bit of fire leaking into her words.

"Alrigh', _Merida_ , why did ya ask me ta ride wi' ya tonight?" His trademark smirk flashed across his face for a brief second, short enough that she almost missed it in the dark, and she realized that he was _teasing_ her. Having not been teased by anyone but her father and brothers, she didn't really know how to react. She quickly decided that honestly would be the best route, tired as she was.

"'M no' sure. Really, I jus' wanted ta thank ya again fer all yer help. I couldn'a done it withou' ya, 'n' I'd be dead if it weren't fer you. I've never had anyone have m' back before, and it was nice. I wan' ta be friends with you, all three o' ya, really. I wan' ta get ta know ya better."

"Me, too. Ye're the best archer I've ever seen, and ye're good wi' a sword as well. Ye stood up ta yer family, the other clans, and a demon bear! All I really did was le' ya ou' o' yer room an' distract th' bear." Just then, they rode under her last target, a hanging disk with had two arrows protruding from it, one clearly fired from the jump they had just passed. "I mean, look at tha'! Most o' the men in my clan couldn't hit tha', let alone twice, on a horse! Ye're incredible, Merida!"

He looked over, half-expecting her to argue, only to see her slipping sideways off of Angus, clearly asleep in the saddle. She hit the ground loudly, letting out a curse he had only heard once in his life, and that from a very vulgar sailor, before getting up. She was clearly unhurt, but now her dress and hair were coated in mud. Angus nosed her, obviously wondering why she had dismounted so suddenly.

"Tired, Princess?" He asked with a grin.

"Fair, don' ya think? Been a long day," she retorted bitterly as she moved to remount.

"Sorry. Here, ride wi' me. I'll keep you in th' saddle, an' ya can sleep on th' way back. S'not the firs' time we've shared a horse, after all," he offered. She grumbled a bit, but she was too tired to really argue, so she allowed him to help her onto his horse.

"Angus, follow along, alrigh'?" She mumbled. Her horse snorted in answer and walked peacefully behind Valan's as he turned them back toward the castle.

"If ya were so tired, why did ya come at all? We could'a gone another time," Valan pointed out sensibly as Merida settled against him. He fought back a shiver as the cold mud soaking her dress made contact with his mostly bare chest.

"I don' break promises," she muttered sleepily. "A broken promise is wha' caused this whole mess. Besides, I can handle meself."

"I can see tha'" he murmured as she drifted off.

OooOooOooOooO (At the Witch's Cottage)

As Merida and Valan headed back for the castle, the witch lit a fire under her new cauldron. She had gathered the necessary ingredients, and now she was ready to perform the complicated spell and exact her revenge.

"This'll teach that Princess not to mess wi' me!" She crowed as she dropped herbs into the now-bubbling cauldron. The potion immediately turned an unnatural green color, and the witch cackled. She continued throwing ingredients in almost haphazardly, and the potion changed colors with each addition. Her pet crow watched from what he considered a safe distance; he had returned a few hours after she had.

"What are you going to do to her?" He asked cautiously. He wasn't at all sure he liked the mood his mistress was in; it always seemed to lead to bad things.

"Oh, I'm no' goin' ta do anythin' ta her. It's everyone else this spell will affect." She stirred gleefully before tossing in the final component; the brew settled in to a sickening blood red.

"What do you mean?" The crow questioned. He was sure now that he didn't like where this was going.

"This spell is my best yet! I'm cursing all th' adul's in th' castle at the moment. Every night, they'll all turn inta bears, an' in th' mornin', they'll turn back, but they won' remember much, and the bears won' be nearly so human as in my other spells. Every night, she'll be left alone, an' there's nothing she can do abou' it! If 'm lucky, the bears'll eat 'er!" She dissolved into maniacal laughter.

"Well, doesn't there have to be a way to break the spell?" The witch glared at him, and he recoiled.

"Yes, the magical laws do force me ta leave her a reversal, bu' she'll never find it." With a final glare in his direction, the witch turned back to her cauldron. She gave the potion within it a final stir, and it flared, a red beacon shooting into the sky. "With this, my revenge is complete. Princess Merida, you'll regret the day you crossed me!" The crow, frightened, flapped out the cottage door and into the night as the sound of the witch's laughter filled the air and a red light lit the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we have the casting of another bear-related curse. I'm not quite sure what her obsession with bears is, but I figured it would carry through. Also, the bit about magical law is not based on the film, but most iterations of magic do require an ability to break curses, whether you want to leave that loophole or not.


	6. Weapons and Wooing

OooOooOooOooO (The next morning, Castle Dun Broch)

Most of the warriors in the castle were, predictably, hung over. The servants were more awake, and so breakfast was not quite as burnt or undercooked as the various dishes had been at dinner the previous night. However, there was one stipulation before anyone was permitted to touch said breakfast.

"Due to the violence tha' occurred at dinner las' night and the previous evening, there will be no weapons permitted at breakfast this mornin'," Queen Elinor announced as people began stumbling into the Great Hall. She gestured to a large table beside the door. "All weapons will be placed here for safekeepin' until the meal is over."

"Wha'?" Demanded Lord Macintosh. Many of the other men looked rather incredulous as well.

"The servants spen' most of yesterday mornin' pullin' arrows and spears out of the tables. Several of the benches need replaced now. I will not have all this fightin' anymore; we will have a civilized breakfast this mornin'," Elinor replied calmly.

"Ye cannae expect us ta give up our weapons, yer majesty; it's no' safe!" Lord MacGuffin countered. Everyone around him winced at the volume, as they all were nursing headaches.

The Queen opened her mouth to retort, but Merida, whose hair was still wet from the scrubbing she'd had to give it to remove the mud from the night before, calmly pulled her bow from her shoulder and settled it on the the table without a word before continuing towards the breakfast table. Ranulf, behind her, shyly pulled a tiny dagger from his boot and, blushing, dropped it on the table. Valan followed suit, setting Stab Blooder down without even breaking stride. Ainsley paused, looked at his empty hands blankly, and then followed the other three toward the food.

The warriors, sick as they were feeling, took a little longer to respond, but soon they, too, were dropping their weapons and dragging themselves to their seats. The clan leaders were the last to fall in line, Fergus included, but eventually, they acquiesced as well. Lord Dingwall was the last in line, and at first, he just pulled a dagger from his belt.

However, after a sharp look from the other clan leaders, he didn't stop there; he began producing weapon after weapon to set on the table. Everyone in the room watched with increasing fascination and incredulity as the pile grew.

"Where is he keepin' all o' this?" Merida murmured. After entirely longer than was reasonable, the last weapon hit the table with a final, ringing clang.

Even Queen Elinor was at a loss for words at first, but she quickly snapped her mouth shut and gestured grandly. "Breakfast is served!"

Steaming platters of meat, eggs, and bread were quickly brought out by the servants, and everyone settled down at last to enjoy the meal. Predictably, King Fergus's plate was covered in meat and little else; the triplets managed to swipe, yet again, an entire tray of sweets and were gobbling them down while attempting to escape their mother's notice. Merida, meanwhile, settled onto a bench next to her would-be suitors.

Under the cover of noisily-eating warriors, she leaned forward and whispered, "Why don' we sneak out later an' practice? No one'll notice, an' we can get away with disobeyin' our parents fer once."

"I'd like ta get some more axe practice," Ainsley admitted.

"An' I'd love ta work with some o' yer horses, if I can," Ranulf supplied with a small smile. Valan simply nodded his agreement.

"Alrigh', then. Meet around noon; we'll go through the kitchen," Merida suggested. Before any of the boys could respond, they were swept up in a conversation about preferred weaponry, and Merida was soon dragged in as well.

OooOooOooOooO (Later that Day, Castle Dun Broch)

The four teens snuck out of the castle, bound for the training arena. No one was likely to be there, as most of the warriors were still not feeling all that well and wanted a bit of a break after the excitement of the last few days.

As expected, the field was completely empty when they arrived, much to their relief. Ainsley quickly set up a dummy, grabbed an axe from the rack, and began chopping away skillfully. Merida stood watching him, again fighting the urge to challenge him. Instead, she and Valan set up several archery targets before returning to the center of the field. At that moment, Ranulf arrived from the stables, bringing an unfamiliar horse with him.

"Jus' keep 'im away from the targets," Valan called over to the large youth. "Wouldn't want either of ye gettin' shot." Merida, who was already pulling an arrow from her quiver, giggled quietly at the warning before calming herself and lining up her first shot of the day. The arrow flew true and buried itself in the center of the farthest target; she let out a satisfied breath and brought the bow down. One end rested on the ground against her foot as she turned.

"So, what're you goin' ta do?" She asked Valan. "We're all disobeyin' our families, but yer Da lets you do wha' yer good at. Ye're a fair hand with that sword o' yers; Stab Blooder, wasn' it?"

Valan grimaced. "I dinnae name it tha'; my Da did. Stupid name fer a sword, I know, but he said it fit the persona."

"Tha'… actually makes a lo' o' sense," Merida replied after a moment. "But ya dinnae answer ma' question. What're ya goin' ta practice?" Valan hid another sour face, seeming almost embarrassed.

"I was… erm… I was hoping tha'…" he trailed off into a mumble, and Merida leaned forward, trying to understand his muttered words.

"Wha' was tha'?" She asked in a lightly teasing tone.

"Ya could teach me ta shoot," he finished, his hair dropping to hide his reddened face.

"Ye're a fair shot yerself; do ya really need ma help?" At this, his head jerked around, his hair flying in all directions as his wide, incredulous blue eyes fixed on her.

"But ye're an amazin' shot, Merida! I tried ta tell ya tha' las' night, bu' ya fell asleep 'fore I could. I wan' ta learn ta shoot like you do; 'm not even half as good as you are," he admitted. Now she was the one blushing; no one, not even her father, had ever really acknowledged her skill with a bow as a good thing, let alone called it amazing.

"Well, I – I'd be honored ta teach ya ta shoot, I s'pose. But-" she paused, holding up a slim finger, "only if I ge' a bout against ya with swords la'er. Even Da doesn't like me usin' a sword, so I never ge' any good fights." Valan nodded frantically.

"Somethin' I migh' be able ta beat ya at? It'd be ma pleasure, Princess."

She grinned at him, wrinkling her nose in response to his teasing. "Ya migh' be surprised," she replied before returning to seriousness as she brought her bow back up. "Now, watch wha' I do."

OooOooOooOooO

About half an hour later, Valan was reliably hitting somewhere in the bulls-eye. He still couldn't come close to replicating Merida's near perfect shots, but he had improved, and to Merida's embarrassment, he attributed all of this success to her. Just then, they were taking a slight breather and watching the others.

Ranulf was taking the horse, which appeared to be a MacGuffin horse but not his, through its paces. It was incredible to watch the large, ungainly boy ride the beast as if he was part of it. It brought to mind the legends of centaurs; to Merida, the boy almost looked like one. His expression was serene, with none of its usual shyness or awkwardness; he was content.

Ainsley had just finished a complicated drill with his axe, and the practice dummy was beginning to look a bit worse for wear after several rounds against the boy and his blade.

As Valan was about to suggest they get back to work, he heard the approach of heavy footsteps, closely followed by the distinctive sounds of his father's voice and Lord Dingwall's laughter. It was a fair guess that Lord MacGuffin was with them as well, then, and the four of them were about to be in a lot of trouble. Looking up, Valan could see that he wasn't the only one who had noticed; both of the other boys looked close to panic.

In a moment of semi-brilliance, Ainsley reached down and grabbed a clump of flowers from the ground, quickly dropping to one knee and presenting them to Merida. Unfortunately, the flowers had a clump of dirt clinging to their intact roots, and Merida merely stared in confusion. Meanwhile, Ranulf yanked his horse to a stop, came tumbling off in a near fall, and stumbled toward the group. In an effort to remain upright, he grabbed the nearest available support, which happened to be Merida's hand. Valan, catching on, quickly grabbed her free hand, making it appear as if the boys were fighting to woo her.

This all happened within the space of ten seconds, and not a second too soon, because as Valan's hand closed around Merida's and she finally caught on to the ruse, the three lords came waltzing through the gate and into the practice arena. They all stopped dead at the sight that awaited them.

"Oh, er, hi, Da," Ranulf managed. "We were jus'-"

"Don' let us interrupt," Lord MacGuffin interrupted. "No need ta explain; we'll jus' be on our way." All three men quickly began retreating with large grins splitting their faces.

"Well done, lad," Lord Dingwall whispered loudly to his son as the gate swung closed. The teens let out simultaneous sighs of relief as they listened to the adults debating who was doing the best job of wooing the princess. It quickly developed into a mild argument, but the four couldn't have been happier to hear it.

"Tha'… was too close," Ainsley muttered.


	7. The Curse Enacted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the curse to take effect, and in the meantime, Merida has a plan.

OooOooOooOooO (Castle Dun Broch, Afternoon)

The four teens had returned to the castle after having almost been discovered, putting the idea of training together to rest for the time being. As Ainsley had pointed out, that encounter had been too close. None of them was eager to get caught, and they really didn't want to have to play at wooing again; it was entirely too strange. Lunch was an awkward affair, as the three lords spent the whole meal jostling each other and giving everyone knowing looks. Their whispers were not particularly discreet, and their continued arguing over who was doing the best job of wooing was even less so. As such, the four teens were too embarrassed to even look at each other, let alone talk. They spent most of the meal staring silently at their plates with red faces. Queen Elinor looked confused and suspicious at this, but she was too tired of conflict to ask; weapons had not been confiscated for this meal, and she was trying to avoid any more damage to the dining area. Fergus, as expected, noticed nothing but the plate in front of him.

Merida ate little, and her desserts were still forfeit to her brothers, so she quietly left the table as soon as possible. The lordlings, not wanting to foster any more rumors with their fathers, remained at the table, still unable to even converse with one another.

Meanwhile, Merida hurried to her room, searching for a pencil and some paper. She had been too embarrassed to even attempt to speak to them in public, but she had an idea to give them more alone time to get to know one another. Finding the materials she needed, she quickly scribbled down four words onto each sheet and snuck back out again.

A few minutes later, out of breath but proud of herself, she collapsed onto her bed and allowed herself to relax. Running all over the castle without getting caught was no easy feat, especially for someone as recognizable as the princess, but she thought she had done an admirable job. Her message was sent, and now all she had to do was wait.

OooOooOooOooO (Ranulf's room, Castle Dun Broch, A few minutes later)

Ranulf happily closed his door, abruptly cutting off his father's advice about how to woo the princess. He was about to flop on his bed and bury his face in his pillow when he spotted a piece of paper lying neatly on the center of bed. He didn't remember leaving any paper in his room that morning, let alone on his bed, so he quickly scooped it up.

There were four words in the center of the page, but the message was easily understood. "Sitting room. One hour." Considering the other two boys had left the table at the same time as him, the letter had to be from Merida; he wondered if the others had received the same message. Then he wondered if he remembered the way to the sitting room. He decided that either way, this was going to be interesting.

OooOooOooOooO (Sitting room, An hour later)

Merida smiled at the three boys as they settled themselves into chairs. Their expressions ranged from confused to intrigued, but they were all watching her and clearly expecting some kind of explanation. However, Merida was second-guessing herself, and she stayed silent, trying to think of the best way to approach the subject. Finally, Valan, never known for his patience, got tired of waiting.

"So, wha' di' ya call us here fer?"

"I, erm, I had an idea. We all wan' ta spend time together, an' ge' ta know each other, righ'?" The boys nodded. "Well, I though' o' a way fer us ta do tha', bu' ya migh' no' like it."

"Oh, jus' ge' it over with," Ainsley commented with a groan as he slumped in his chair.

"Fine," Merida replied with a glare in his direction. "All o' you go ta yer da's an' tell them that yer tryin' ta woo me by takin' me ou' ta see the stars or whatever ya like. I'll tell my da I'm goin' shootin' ta ge' ou' o' the castle fer a bit. No one has ta know we're all together, bu' no one will interrupt us. It migh' be a bit embarrassin', bu' it'll work."

Ranulf blushed. "Bu' our da's are already makin' jokes; if we do this, they'll never le' us live it down."

"We already started this charade; migh' as well make use o' it," Merida replied firmly. Ranulf reddened further, but he nodded. Valan nodded slowly as well, obviously deep in thought.

"'S a good plan. Bit embarrassin', aye, bu' ye're right; it'll work."

"I like it," Ainsley said simply.

"Alrigh' then," Merida resolved. "Le's go talk ta our parents. Meet in the stables in an hour, aye?" The boys nodded once more, and then they were off, eager to implement this new plan, embarrassment or no. No one noticed three heads with red curls ducking back behind a bench in the corner.

OooOooOooOooO (The stables, Castle Dun Broch, Another hour later)

One by one, the four teens filtered in. Ainsley was the last to arrive, looking more confused then usual. Ranulf, who was saddling his Clydesdale with care, glanced over and took in the blonde's expression.

"Wha's wrong, Ainsley?" The other two teens turned to look as well, and the blonde seemed to struggle for a moment before replying.

"'M just a wee bit confused. When I tol' my da I was takin' Merida ridin', he said something strange, and 'm no' sure wha' he meant."

"Well, wha' did he say?" Valan pushed.

"He tol' me no ta do anythin' tha' had 'lastin' consequences.' I mean, s'not like 'm gonna hurt her 'r anythin'; why would he tell me tha'?"

Merida blushed from the part in her hair to her toes, while the other two boys promptly doubled over laughing.

"Wha'?" Ainsley asked, looking more confused then ever. "No really, wha'?" Ranulf, having recovered, placed a large hand on the smaller boy's shoulder.

"Don' worry abou' it; I'll tell ya later." This prompted Valan, who had finally calmed down, to dissolve back into gales of laughter. Merida, still crimson, retreated to Angus and hid behind his large body, shielding her face from view. She quickly heaved herself on his back and let her hair swing forward over her face.

Eventually, the boys all calmed down enough to mount their horses, and soon all four of the teens were thundering out of the stables and heading down the well worn path out of the castle walls.

Behind them, again unnoticed, Merida's brothers quickly commandeered a horse, threw themselves into the saddle, which was large enough to accommodate all of them, and set off after the teens. After all, this promised to be much more entertaining then another boring night in the castle.

OooOooOooOooO (Castle Dun Broch, Dinner)

Dinner was, as expected, a boisterous affair. The food was delicious, the wine was flowing, and everyone was in fine spirits. Soon, talk amongst the three lords turned to the wooing of the princess, as it so often did these days. At first, they just discussed the scene in the practice arena, but none of them could keep a secret for long, especially when it afforded bragging rights.

"My boy is ridin' off inta the sunset with the princess," Lord Dingwall announced to the others. "He's takin' her ridin' tonigh'. I expect they'll be married within the year."

"Well, my boy is takin' her out ta see the stars. I bet they'll be married in a few months," Lord MacGuffin retorted with a smirk.

"My boy is with her righ' now," Lord Macintosh proclaimed proudly. "They'll probably be married within the month."

"No, she cannae be with yer boy righ' now; she's ou' ridin' with mine," Lord Dingwall protested.

"No, she's with mine, goin' ta see the stars," Lord MadGuffin put in. This soon developed into bickering, which quickly escalated. Queen Elinor was distracted by husband and failed to break it up before it turned into a full on fight. Soon enough, all three men had their hands on the hilts of their various weapons, and things were about to get bloody.

However, at that very moment, as they rushed at each other, the sun finally sunk below the horizon, and mid-charge, all three men collapsed. It didn't take them long to get back up again, though, and moments later, they were all taking swings at one another with their… paws. The entire room, the entire castle, in fact, was suddenly full of bears, and the only humans left were riding into the woods, totally unaware of the situation. This was going to be a very long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will feature a nice bonding scene between our lovely teens and the aftermath of the first night of the curse.


	8. Bonding and Bears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some adorable bonding, a bit more backstory, and an explanation for Ainsley.

OooOooOooOooO (The Campsite, Night)

Merida and the lordlings had quickly set up camp in a clearing deep in the forest, creating rather ramshackle tents out of saddle blankets, or, in Merida's case, a shelter of wood, leaves, and other natural supplies. It appeared to be waterproof as well as insulated; she would be comfortable if it rained or even snowed. The boys stared in amazement as she grinned at them from her well-constructed, rather spacious shelter.

"How… di' ya learn tha'?" Ranulf finally managed. The other two boys snapped their jaws shut, but they were still gaping, wide-eyed.

"My da, how else?" She asked, still smirking proudly. Her mind flickered through hundreds of moments, all filled with red hair, hearty laughs, and the green of the forest; some of her fondest memories came from this place. "We wen' campin' here lots 'o times, an' he taught me how ta survive. My mum dinnae approve, bu' she never stopped us. It's how my brothers learned ta be so sneaky, as well. Da'd play game o' hide n' seek wi' them here, an' they learned how ta win. 'Course no one really knows how good, or bad, really, they are 'cept me."

"Bu', tha's… tha's amazin'!" Ranulf replied.

"Incredible!" Ainsley agreed.

"Yet another thing ye're better at than us," Valan teased. The warm look in his blue made her stick her tongue out at him rather than be offended.

"O' course! I'm better at everythin'!" She teased in response. "One o' these days, I'll teach ya boys how ta do this. Fer now, though, who's hungry?" Rousing cheers were her only answer. She couldn't help thinking in that moment that these boys might be harder to feed than her mother in bear form, and that was saying something. She let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Well, we haven' eaten in a while!" Ranulf protested, having correctly interpreted her sigh.

"Ya ate at midday!"

"We were too embarrassed ta eat, though. O' course we're hungry!" Ainsley added. Merida simply slumped and led the way to the river, thinking tiredly about how many fish this was going to require.

When they arrived at the river, Merida drew her bow, put an arrow to the string, and shot a fish, all in one smooth motion. The boys, having grown used to her skill with the weapon, managed not to stand there, slack-jawed. Instead, they stood silence and watched the girl work.

"Ya could help, ya know. It's no' jus' my dinner," she pointed out after a few minutes.

"Bu' ye're doin' fine; ya don' need help," Valan retorted. Ranulf, chuckling, attempted to punch him good-naturedly in the shoulder. However, he miscalculated, and Valan was sent flying into the water. He emerged, dripping, with a glare.

"Sorry; I dinnae mean to," Ranulf practically whimpered. Valan continued to glare for a moment, prompting Ranulf to shrink back, before splashing a great wave of water over the larger boy and breaking out into a grin. Ranulf, of course, laughed and charged into the water, beginning a battle. Ainsley was quickly drawn in as well, and soon all three were splashing and joking around like old friends.

"Ye're scarin' th' fish," Merida chastised with a small smile as she set her bow aside. The boys responded by sending a big enough wave her way that she was swept off her feet. She immediately began floundering and yelping, and the boys rushed to her aid, thinking she couldn't swim. When they got within range, she planted her hands on the bottom and swung her leg around, knocking the legs out from under all three boys. They all fell, and she stood with a smirk.

"Tha's cheatin'!" She heard a voice protest, though through the sputtering, she couldn't quite tell who.

"No; tha's playin' smart, boys," she retorted over her shoulder as she flounced away. Most of the way to the shore, she stopped to attempt to wring out her skirt, but this distracted her long enough for arms to catch her around the waist and throw her back into the river. The splash fight resumed, this time with Merida as an active, and very skilled, participant.

Significantly later, all four teens climbed out onto the shore, shivering and soaked, but still laughing.

"Le's ge' back ta camp," Ranulf suggested breathlessly.

"We can star' a fire," Merida agreed as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"An' fin'lly eat!" Ainsley added plaintively. Merida looked at the rather large pile of fish that had laid unattended on the shore for the last hour or so and started back up laughing.

"Fine, bu' I caugh' 'em; I'm no' carryin' the fish back ta camp." Behind her back, there was a brief scuffle, with Ranulf coming out as the loser.

"Have fun wi' tha'," Valan commented rather smugly as he and Ainsley followed Merida back into the forest.

A slimy trip to camp, several unsuccessful attempts to light a fire, and one fight over how to cook the fish later, everyone was happily settled, warming by the fire and enjoying the meal.

"Tha's the most fun I've had in ages," Valan commented contentedly.

"Me, too," Ranulf agreed. "I used ta have splash fights wi' my siblings, bu' lately, there's been too much ta do, an' Da wouldn't le' me. I remember one time, though, when I was wee-"

"Were ya ever wee, Ranulf?" Ainsley joked, to everyone's surprise. Ranulf shoved him with a grin, managing not to dislodge him from his seat, and continued with his story.

"When I was abou' six, I wen' wi' my two oldest brothers an' my older sister, who was abou' three, ta the loch. She sat in th' sand makin' a castle. It was a perfect model o' our castle, bu' then my brothers kicked it down. She go' up, stared at them, an' then pushed them both inta th' loch. It started this massive splash figh', an' we were ou' late. Mum was nae happy when we came in soaked an' shiverin' after dark, bu' it was so much fun."

Merida smiled at the mental image, and she decided that she wanted to meet Ranulf's sister some day. They could cause so much havoc together; she would have to hope that she never met Merida's younger brothers, though, because she wasn't sure the world could handle that combination.

Ainsley went next, telling a funny story about a misunderstanding involving a sheep, a maid, and a broken spear. The best part was that he told it deadpanned and as though he was still mildly confused. Merida laughed so hard at the tale that she had to excuse herself to go to the bathroom. On her way out of the clearing, she heard Ainsley ask about his father's confusing statement earlier that day.

She was just finishing up her business when she heard a shout echo through the trees, startling many of the nearby birds into flight.

_"What?!"_

It took her several more minutes to return to the clearing, as she was laughing too hard to walk straight. She thought she heard some unnatural rustling in the bushes on her way back, but she eventually dismissed it as birds settling back in for the night after their scare.

The rest of the evening went similarly, filled with fun stories of childhood and simpler times. Valan shared the tale of how his father named his sword; Merida offered up some of her brothers' escapades. Eventually, the night ended in laughter, with Merida inviting all of them into her shelter as it began to rain. They all settled down for the night, not quite touching, to the sound of the pattering rain and the sight of the last glowing embers from their fire.

OooOooOooOooO (The next morning, Castle Dun Broch)

Everyone awoke in the castle, strewn about everywhere, with headaches and no memories of the night before. Right around the middle of dinner, everything became a blur. This in itself wasn't unusual, as drinking heavily tended to cause memory gaps, and well, they were all Scots, after all. What was rather odd was that everyone woke up stark naked. However, they all chose to write it off and not speak of it again, no matter where and with whom they awoke.

By the time the teens returned near noon, everyone was clothed and moving about, although they weren't coherent enough to notice that all four returned together. Most of the servants were attempting to repair the rather impressive amount of damage done to the castle and its decorations the night before, which the teens felt the need to comment on.

"Wha' on earth were ya drinkin' las' nigh'?!" Merida demanded of her father, who groaned and put his hands over his face. "Everythin's destroyed! Ya made a fair mess o' things, all o' ya!" She gestured to the completely shattered table in the middle of the Great Hall. "Tha's it; no more drinkin' for any o' ya until ya can control yerselves." She didn't expect to be obeyed, but she hoped it would limit the smashed furniture and ripped hangings the next night; they couldn't keep replacing it forever, after all.

"Oh, leave me be ta die in peace!" Fergus grunted at her as he dropped his head back to the table. "I never wan' ta drink again, anyway!"

None of the teens, or the boys who had just returned from their own adventure, noticed the new scratch marks gouged into the walls. Thus, they didn't realize anything was amiss until that night, when the sun set. In the middle of dinner, which was going surprisingly well except for the alcohol consumption, all of the adults dropped out of their chairs. When they got up, a bit furrier than before, the room was silent for a moment. Then a single voice broke it.

_"Gadsbudlikins!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, looks like the teens know about the curse now.


	9. A Nerve-Wracking Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suffering from a sad lack of information, our heroes attempt to cope.

The room suddenly seemed entirely too small, full as it was. The four teens and three children took several steps away from the table, eyeing the multitude of large bears warily.

"Um… Mum?" Merida inquired nervously. "Da?" None of the bears appeared to understand or respond, but they did begin advancing on the group, growling unnervingly.

"Boys, run, now!" The princess commanded sharply, and the triplets took off without question. The teens continued to slowly back away, but the beasts' attention on them was unwavering.

"Tell me ya have a plan," Ainsley begged of Merida. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and fought down a grimace.

"Um… don' ge' eaten?" She offered.

"Great," Valan muttered. Just as he did, one of the bears tipped over and stumbled into another. This caused a minor ruckus and a momentary distraction, but none of the teens chose to chance it. Too many dark eyes rested on them.

"Wha' if we…" Ranulf began gibbering incomprehensibly, his Doric accent taking over.

"Ranulf, Ranulf, slow down! Wha' if we wha'?" Merida demanded.

The green clad boy gestured to the barrels of mead near the doorway. "They've already had quite a bit ta drink; wha' if we give them a wee bit more?" As if trying to prove his point, another bear tripped over its own paws and landed on the floor with a thud.

"Ya wan' ta ge' th' bears… drunk?" Merida asked incredulously. Ranulf merely nodded, but Ainsley appeared to be seriously thinking about this plan, his fingers stroking his non-existent beard.

"It migh' work," he declared loudly after a moment. One of the advancing bears growled at his outburst, and the blonde boy flinched. "An' we migh' wan' ta ge' started," he added more quietly.

"Bu' how do we ge' them th' drink?" Valan inquired. "We cannae open all th' casks an' ask them ta stand in a line."

"Use yer sword ta cut open th' barrels an' spill th' drink on the floor," Ainsley offered.

"An' then, if we're lucky, they'll be more interested in it than us!" Merida exclaimed. "Do it, Valan!" Without further protest, the boy quickly unsheathed his blade and swiped at the casks. Several of the bears snarled and leapt forward at the sight of the blade, but they were quickly occupied with the rush of liquid spewing across the stones toward them.

"Now run!" Ranulf cried as the bears finally took their eyes off the teenagers; the four wasted no time in doing just that. Before long, they were out the doors, down the hall, and up the stairs to the sitting room, with Merida occasionally calling directions as she struggled to catch her breath. Finally, the heirs dropped onto the various seats in the sitting room and caught their breath.

"Wha… jus' happened?" Merida gasped after a few moments.

"I though' th' curse was broken," Ranulf added irritably. The poor boy was flat on his back on the floor, his chest still heaving; running was more difficult for him, large as he was.

"An' tha' only affected th' queen, so why is everyone a bear? Fer tha' matter, why aren' we bears?" Valan questioned thoughtfully.

"An' yer brothers weren' affected either," Ainsley pointed out to Merida. "So it's only affectin' th' adults, bu' why? An' wha' caused it?" Suddenly, all three boys were staring at the girl in their midst like she had all the answers.

"I don' know!" She snapped. "Ye've been wi' me almost ev'ry second since; how should I know wha's goin' on any more than any o' ya!"

"Well, ya knew about th' curse when it was on yer mum; what's diff'ren' now?" Valan inquired.

"Besides tha' ev'ryone's affected 'cept us," Ainsley added helpfully. After sparing him a glare, Merida thought about what she had just seen in comparison to the situation with her mother.

"Well…," she began hesitantly, "They're no'… people inside. Mum knew who she was, an' she was still herself, most o' the time. None o' th' bears even seemed to recognize us. It's as if they're… empty inside. They're really bears." She was reminded of the provision regarding the deadline on her spell, and how it would have turned her mother into a 'real bear' permanently.

"Tha's why ev'rythin' was so torn up this mornin'!" Ranulf shouted suddenly, breaking Merida's train of thought. Apparently, she wasn't the only one confused, as both of the other boys jumped.

"Wha'?" Ainsley asked simply, speaking for all three of them.

"Ev'rythin' was all broken this mornin' when we go' back, remember? We though' tha' they had been drinkin' and go' in a figh' or somethin', but wha' if they were bears las' nigh', too? It would explain why ev'ryone was so sore an' irritable today, an' why none o' our fathers asked abou' our 'trip'," Ranulf explained patiently.

"Bu' wouldn' they remember somethin' like tha?" Merida asked. "An' wouldn' they still be bears?"

"We don' really know much abou' this spell or whatever it is, so maybe not," the boy reasoned in return.

"He's go' a poin'," Ainsley pointed out. Merida nodded wearily and settled back in her seat, while Valan leaned forward on his knees and let out a sigh.

"Well, it doesnae matter righ' now. Fer now, we need a plan. We're in a castle full o' bears, wi' no one ta help us. Wha' do we do?"

"Firs' of all, let's find my brothers before they ge' in trouble again," Merida commented.

OooOooOooOooO (Elsewhere in Castle Dun Broch)

Harris, Hamish, and Hubert were mildly disconcerted at the great hall full of bears. After all, the beasts hadn't seemed friendly, and they had been enough to scare Merida, which was never good. There was also the fact that the bears appeared to be the adults, transformed, which meant that there was no one around to help. However, this was also another brilliant opportunity to get away with mischief without the watchful eyes of Maudie or the other adults, and the triplets were never ones to let such chances pass. As such, all three boys were huddled on a table in the kitchen, gobbling down pastries as fast as they could and relishing the fact that dessert hadn't had a chance to be served.

The mound of desserts was beginning to dwindle when Harris heard a loud thump from the direction of the door. He nudged his siblings, and they all hunkered down, wary of being caught. Just as Hubert was about to declare the all-clear, though, two bears came crashing clumsily through the door; they didn't seem to be aware of the small boys in the room, but they were creating a fearful lot of noise and damage. Their appetites gone, the triplets hurried for the secret passage that would allow them to escape. Unfortunately, Hamish knocked over a metal tray as he leapt off the table, and it clattered loudly on the floor, drawing the attention of both of the beasts crowding the kitchen. As growls filled the air, Hamish flinched; one of the bears began stumbling forward. The boys immediately scattered; Harris was already in the secret passage, Hubert threw himself into a cupboard, and Hamish ran right between the legs of the larger bear, escaping out the door.

Minutes later, as they reunited, they heard the voice of their sister calling for them. Deciding they had had enough fun for one night, the three followed her voice and mentally vowed to stay out of trouble, at least while there were bears in the castle.

OooOooOooOooO (The sitting room, Later that night)

The rest of the night was spent with all the non-bears huddled in the sitting room with the door barricaded, flinching at every sound and hoping desperately for sunrise. The triplets had gotten a good lecture from Merida when she had noticed the icing smeared across their faces, and for once, they had actually seemed cowed by it. Normally she would have wondered at this fact, but she was too worried about the transformation she had witnessed and what it could mean to even notice this odd behavior.

"Fer once, 'm glad there were weapons at dinner," the princess commented at one point, late in the night. She and Valan were the only ones awake, as it was their watch. The teens had agreed to set a watch, with two people awake at a time; that way they could wake the others if something went wrong, and everyone would be able to get at least a little sleep. Surprisingly, the idea had been Ainsley's, which further proved that he was cleverer than he appeared.

"An' fer th' drinking." This was punctuated by a particularly loud crash from above, and she winced, wondering what had just been broken. Hamish stirred, and she stroked his hair gently until he settled before fixing her eyes on her watch partner again. "It'll hopefully keep them occupied an' confused 'til dawn."

"An' wha' then?" Valan demanded. "Wha' if Ranulf's wrong, an' they don' turn back?"

"Hush; you'll wake th' others. We'll deal wi' tomorrow when it comes; fer now, let's jus' be grateful tha' ev'ryone's alive."

"'M sorry. I jus'… don' like waitin', an' I don' like no' knowin' wha's goin' on. If this is a curse, we've no idea how ta break it or even who cast it. All we c'n do is sit here an' hope tha' ev'rythin' will work out."

"Valan," Merida interrupted bluntly, before softening her tone. "'S alrigh'. We'll work it ou' in th' mornin'. Fer now, go ta sleep; we'll face th' mornin' in th' mornin'.

After waking their replacements, the two teens laid down on the floor facing one another and tried to relax. Just before they drifted off, a whisper floated through the air between them.

"Goodnight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm attempting a subtle start to romance. Let me know what you think.


	10. Consequences of a Curse

OooOooOooOooO (In th' Mornin', Castle Dun Broch)

Chaos reigned in the castle as dawn broke, which, really, didn't make it any different than the rest of the night. Thankfully, however, daylight saw the castle no longer full of bears, but rather a veritable horde of hung-over, confused, and angry Scots. The castle was, yet again, in shambles, and all its adult occupants awoke to find themselves scattered and naked.

Maudie was particularly embarrassed, as she woke in the kitchen, suspiciously close to the also-naked Calum. Luckily for her pride, he was still asleep, and she managed to sneak away without anyone seeing. Though she had absolutely no memory of how she had ended up there, she quickly vowed that no one would ever find out and that it would never happen again.

OooOooOooOooO (Later that Day)

"Wha' do ya mean, bears? Why woul' we all turn inta bears, Merida?" King Fergus asked good-naturedly.

"'M no' sure, Da, bu' ya have ta believe me! Why else wouldn' ya remember las' nigh'?" The princess demanded. Fergus winced and put a hand to his head at her volume.

Merida was fighting despair and near to tears. She and the other teens had been trying their best to piece events together and convince the adults of the curse since the four of them had ventured from the sitting room that morning. All they had gathered was that everyone woke up naked, no believed them, and no one remembered the events of the previous night.

"No' rememberin' is a natural side effect o' drinkin', Merida, an' ya know it. Nothin' magical abou' it."

"Wha' abou' th' damage ta th' castle, then?" She tried.

"We were probably fightin' while we were drunk; 's happened many a time before. Yer mother took all our weapons at breakfast a few days ago fer jus' tha' reason, remember?"

"An' wakin' up naked? Ev'ryone?"

"Another side effect o' drinkin'; you'll understand when ye're older, an' yer mother'll skin me if I try ta explain it now."

Merida bit back a scream of frustration. "Why cannae you believe me?! Mum was turned inta a bear jus' a few days ago!"

"Yes, an' tha' whole business was resolved. We pu' it behind us; it's over. There's no reason fer us all ta be turnin' inta bears now, an' ya have no proof. If this was yer mother's curse, why would we turn back in th' mornin'?"

"Well, perhaps-"

"'Sides, if we were all bears, why weren' all o' you bears as well?" He interrupted.

"Well, I don' know, bu'-"

"Who do ya think did this?" He inquired.

""M no' sure ye', bu'-"

"Bu' nothin', Merida. Ye've go' no information an' no proof. Now, my head aches from the drinkin'; stop tryin' ta joke aroun' an' leave me be," Fergus commanded, his jovial grin gone from his face.

She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "Off with ya, Merida. 'S no' funny anymore; go!"

The princess obeyed, running out of the room as tears of frustration slipped down her reddened cheeks. Suddenly, the fear, insanity, and embarrassment of the last few days caught up with her, and she was fighting back sobs as she hurried to her room. Unfortunately, before she could make it there, she ran into Ainsley and Ranulf, who had probably been on their way to find her.

"Princess, nobody will believe-" upon seeing her face, Ainsley stopped short. "Wha's wrong?" At this seemingly simple question, all of the emotion bubbled up within her and exploded out at last; the stress of her mother's curse, the humiliation of the lords and the wooing, and the fear of the night before overwhelmed her. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing violently, her hair sweeping around her face and hiding it from view.

Meanwhile, the two lordlings merely looked on in shock; they had never seen the princess break down this way and were unsure of how to respond.

"Um… Merida?" Ranulf ventured. Her head trembled in a way that might have been a nod, and the confused boy decided to take it as such. He hesitantly set his meaty hand on her shoulder. "'S alrigh'. Please don' cry."

After a moment, the archer sniffed and rose, still allowing her hair to conceal her face.

""M sorry, boys. Thank ya." With that, she strode off down the hallway, passing Valan on the way. He did a double take at the weeping princess before approaching his compatriots.

"Wha's goin' on? Was she cryin'?"

"I… have no idea," Ainsley replied.

"Aye, she was cryin', but we don' know why, or wha' happened," Ranulf clarified.

"I've never seen her cry before; I wasnae sure she could," Ainsley mumbled, more to himself than anyone.

"O' course she c'n cry, ya numpty," Valan snapped. "She may be a princess, bu' she's human, too, an' ev'ryone breaks down sometimes."

"Ya act like ye've seen it before," Ranulf pointed out, a slight teasing glint in his eyes.

"I… dinnae need to ta know tha' she can," Valan retorted hesitantly. He and Merida had not told the other two about her breakdown when she was locked up, and he certainly didn't want to mention it now.

Ranulf looked at him suspiciously but chose not to comment. He did, however, file the other boy's odd actions away for further thought. Valan clearly knew something that he wasn't sharing.

"Is… is she alrigh'?" Valan asked after a moment.

""M no' sure. Perhaps ya should go ask her," the larger boy replied.

"Well, I'll give her a few minutes ta calm down, and then we can all go. Now, did either o' ya manage ta convince anyone abou' wha' happened las' nigh'?"

OooOooOooOooO (At the Cottage)

The witch practically pranced around, quite pleased with herself. She had been watching the castle on and off through a scrying spell, and the results of her curse were almost as wonderful as she could have hoped.

"They don' believe her; perfect! Let her feel alone and miserable during the day, and terrified at nigh'. Jus' perfect; my best work." She spun back the other way. "It's no' so easy when someone uproots yer whole life, is it, Princess?" She cackled to herself. "Perhaps now you know how I feel. Ya didn't even apologize fer blowin' up my house! Spoiled brat! Ya go' wha' ya wanted from me and then completely forgot all abou' me. Well now ye're payin' fer it."

She wandered about the room, still mumbling to herself as the crow looked on with apprehension. He was quite worried about the way his mistress was acting, and he didn't like it one bit.

"I s'pose now ye're sorry and wan' ta apologize; well it's too late!" The crazed woman growled. ""M not goin' ta take it back."

"Well, she doesn't even know that it was you," the crow pointed out timidly. "Remember how confused she and the other were last night? They don't know that you cast the curse, so the Princess can't be properly apologetic."

"Ye're right!" The witch exclaimed. "I wan' her ta suffer, bu' I wan' her ta know why she's suffering! Go tell her tha' I cast this curse on her," she ordered fiercely. The crow sat for a moment, confused, and the witch summoned her newly crafted broom to smack him off his perch. "Go. Now! Shoo!" She shouted.

The crow, needing no more encouragement, quickly leapt from his perch and flapped off out the door. Privately, he was relieved, hoping that the more information the Princess had, the more likely she was to reverse the curse. If he was lucky, the witch would come to her senses after that and return to normal; he didn't enjoy this new, crazier, more vengeful mistress at all.

He winged toward the castle under the noonday sun, wishing for a better, calmer future.

OooOooOooOooO (Castle Dun Broch, One Feathery Explanation Later)

Merida stared in amazement at the bird perched on her bed. She had been alone, still trying to calm down from her crying fit when he had flown in her window. At first, she had tried to throw him out, thinking that he was a normal bird, but then he had began protesting, and she had recognized his rather irritating voice from the witch's cottage. Then he had begun his tale, and she had nearly fallen down from shock.

"The witch did all this ta us… because o' her house?" She surmised in disbelief. "Bu' tha' was an accident!" The princess continued coming up with reasons that this wasn't possible, muttering to herself just the way the witch had been. Finally, she turned to the crow again.

"So how do we break the curse, then? There's no broken bond this time, except the one between the witch and me, and she doesnae seem ta want it mended, so there must be another solution," she reasoned. "Wha' is it?"

"Well, there is a reversal," the crow began, "but there's one problem. I don't know what it is."

Merida opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak, a knock sounded on her door.

"Princess, are ya alrigh'?" Came Ranulf's voice.

"May we come in?" Valan asked.

"We won' tell anyone ya were cryin'," Ainsley promised.

The crow took one last look at the red-haired lass before taking off out the window. Merida watched him go in despair before turning back to her door.

"Alrigh', boys," she said firmly as she swung the door open. "I have some news."

OooOooOooOooO (A Few Minutes Later)

"She did this ta everyone because of her house?"

"And we have no idea how ta undo it?"

"Well tha's jus' grand. Wha' do we do now?"

"Wait… there was a talking crow?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist having a nod to Maudie and Calum there. They're such a fun pair. And enter the crow as double-agent, so he teens finally have a bit more information to work with.
> 
> Next chapter will feature the long-awaited curse reversal.


	11. Frustrations and Revelations

OooOooOooOooO (Castle Dun Broch, Dinner that Evening)

The four teens, having been unable to convince anyone that the curse was real and beginning to feel as though that was a side-effect, watched anxiously as the meal progressed and the sun sank lower in the sky outside. It had taken several hours for the teens to discuss the new information they had gained, and several minutes more for them to realize that they didn't have nearly enough to even try to sketch out a plan. There was also nothing new that would constitute proof to the King, or anyone else.

So now, they sat at the far edge of the table closest to the door, with the triplets close by. This had been Ainsley's suggestion, allowing them an escape route if things went as they had the night before. There was no heavy drinking tonight, as Queen Elinor had laid a moratorium on it, but the men were still largely back to their boisterous state as they worked their way through the meal. In fact, the young ones were the quiet spot of the room, lingering on the outskirts in worry.

"We have ta do somethin'," Valan finally said, breaking a silence that had stretched for almost an hour. "We cannae jus' wait an' hope fer the best!"

"And wha' would you suggest, o wise one?" Merida snapped back. "We cannae convince anyone, an' fer all we know, tha's a part o' the curse. We cannae break the curse without knowin' the spell, an' we don't."

Valan sighed and spread his hands, but he was prevented from answering by the beginning of the transformation. As all of the adults fell and began convulsing, the teens ran, waving the children on ahead of them. Ranulf moved a large wooden bench in front of the doors in a desperate effort to contain the beasts.

This done, the group retreated to their sitting room, ready for another long night, hoping to make it to the dawn.

OooOooOooOooOooO (With the Witch)

The Witch watched this unfold with satisfaction, and then she turned back to her familiar, who had returned a few hours ago. "Ye tol' tha' brat that this was my doin', right?" She demanded.

"Yes, mistress. I'm sure she's very sorry now."

"Sorry?! Tha's no' good enough! I wan' her ta suffer; I wan' her ta bleed an' weep an' feel some o' the pain she caused me!" The hag turned back to her cauldron, swiping at the steam emanating from it and muttering to herself. She laughed and cursed by turns as the crow watched nervously. "Perhaps I can help wi' tha'. Speed things up a bit."

The crone began moving around the cottage, gathering ingredients and cackling to herself. "This'll fix her."

"Are you casting another curse?" Inquired the feathery creature.

"No, I'm just… stirrin' up some wind." Herbs and small tokens fell into the cauldron, sending up swirls of smoke and color. "Tha' ought ta do it."

Satisfied, she blew on the smoke, which wended its way out the window and into the night.

"Of course, that'll bring one o' the parts o' the cure closer, but no mind. She an' her little friends won' live tha' long," she pondered.

"Oh, the cure?" The crow feigned mild curiosity. "It must be awfully clever. What is it?" A feral grin lit the witch's face as she turned to him.

"I am proud of it; they'll never figure it ou'. Far too complicated, an' they don' even know they need it." The crow hopped closer at this, trying to seem nonchalant.

"May I hear it, mistress?"

"Oh, all righ'. I have been wantin' to show it off. Here it is." She took on a slight glow as she began her recitation.

> Ruby as life of those beyond the shore
> 
> Pale as sea's beauty in ugliness moored
> 
> Azure as the fire of the ancient kings
> 
> Verdant as new leaves where the sweet bird sings
> 
> The tartans will tell each item's bearer
> 
> No touch from others except its wearer
> 
> Bring these all together, and the curse will end
> 
> Combine their power, and let all wrongs mend
> 
> The music, the vessel, the stone, and the blade
> 
> Brought together as one in moonlit glade
> 
> Surrounded by stones on solstice night
> 
> This is the one chance to make all things right

She blinked, coming back to herself. "Quite the riddle, aye? Far better than any o' my other works. Even if they heard it, they would never understand."

'Want to bet?' Wondered her companion, committing the phrase to memory. He would have to find an excuse to leave in the morning to relay the message. However, in his eagerness and worry, he missed her next words.

"An' they won' last 'til the solstice now. The enemy is comin', an' he won' be as merciful as me. Death flies on swift wings for the princess an' all o' the clans. Time is runnin' out."

OooOooOooOooO (Castle Dun Broch)

Crashes and growls kept the teens awake all night. It seemed that most of the bears were trapped in the dining hall, but some had been elsewhere when they transformed, and it seemed that those few were attempting to make up the damage the others were missing. Sometimes, they were as close as the next room, and those moments were met with tense silence and a tight grip on weapons. Although the idea of sleeping in shifts was brought up again, no one put much effort in, refusing to even lie down. Occasionally, one of the teens would attempt to start a conversation, but these always petered out without response. No new information or ideas made for an unpleasant and frightening night, but the dawn brought little relief.

OooOooOooOooO

"King Fergus, please. Ya have ta believe us. We're no' jus' tellin' stories fer fun."

"I don' have ta do anythin'. 'M the king, an' I'll do wha' I please. This was entertainin' enough the firs' time, but 'm tired of it. Leave off."

"Da. 'M no' tryin' ta be funny, I swear. Ya didn' even drink las' night. How can ya explain wha' happened? Look around!"

"Tha's jus' wha' happens when the clans are together, Merida. Perhaps yer mother was righ' an' you should jus' get this over with," the big man snarled. Merida stepped back in shock at her father's tone, and retreated back into the line made by the other teens.

"In fact, tha' sounds perfect. If you're goin' ta keep bringin' this up, get out. Spend the day with yer suitors. Ye seem chummy enough with the lads now, an' tha's what ya wanted, right? When ya come back, I don' want ta hear no more about bears; is that clear?"

Merida, fighting tears, nodded. The other heirs looked between her and her father in shock for a moment, confused by this anger and resistance in the king. He was stubborn, certainly, but he had never seemed so unreasonable before.

"Well, go on. Go!" The burly man shouted. "An' don' let me catch ya here before supper."

The princess wanted to flee, but she forced herself to curtsy and sweep from the room in a manner that would have made her mother proud. The "suitors" scurried after her, stopping to bow one by one on their way out of the hall.

"It has ta be the curse," Ranulf affirmed as soon as the door closed behind them. "He wouldnae be so cruel otherwise." The other two young men nodded in agreement, but Merida just kept walking.

"We don' know tha'. We have no proof, as he keeps pointin' out." She looked back at them. "Well, are ya comin'? We have ma foolish pageant ta put on."

OooOooOooOooO

The four made a big show of heading to the stables together, and Valan even stopped in the kitchen to make them a picnic for the day. The lords were beside themselves with pleasure in this development, and they all took to ribbing each other and bragging, as they often did. The triplets were confused, but Maudie was watching them too closely for another escape, so they were forced to let the teens go.

Fergus watched the group ride away from the castle walls, and he grimaced as Elinor followed him.

"It's good ta see her gettin' ta know them," the queen mused. "Perhaps this wasnae such a waste after all." She leaned over to give her husband a kiss on the cheek with a soft smile. "Our little girl is growin' up."

The king growled under his breath as he thought of the nonsense she had been spilling that morning, proving that she might not be as grown up as they had hoped. He was all for immaturity, but this was becoming ridiculous. The riders turned out of sight, and he let out a sigh. He turned to his wife, ready to explain, but Elinor's hand in his distracted him, and he allowed her to lead him back inside. He didn't see the crow that flew into Merida's bedroom window as he turned away, and the sounds of the fighting lords covered up the cawed cursing that followed.

OooOooOooOooO (At Sea)

A bulky, intimidating man stood at the tiller of a ship, watching his crew row along as the sails creaked overhead. He grinned and fingered the hilt of his war-axe as he considered his options. His men were hungry for battle and loot, but he was weary of defenseless towns and pitiful warriors. He longed for a challenge. Easy victories brought wealth, but he wanted glory.

Suddenly, the wind changed, nearly spinning his ship and its fellows. At first, the man fought with the tiller in an attempt to right their course, but then he looked down at the primitive map beside him and considered where this new path would take them. A bloodthirsty smirk crept across his face, and he drew his axe as he released the tiller, content to let this mysterious wind lead the way.

"To war!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter a new and mysterious figure, because Merida's life wasn't complicated and frightening enough right now. Also, let me know what you think of the reversal. Any guesses about what it means? I tried to make it somewhat cryptic while still largely understandable.
> 
> This is the last chapter I already had posted, so you're all up to speed now.


End file.
